Capital Journal: Obama and the New Saudi King

President Obama made a trip to visit the new king of Saudi Arabia this week. WSJ's Jay Solomon explains the significance of the visit. Photo: AP

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... say you were flying around the world with John Kerry ... over the last week or so um and then the midst of all that there was a momentous events in Arabia King Abdullah Dies he basically ran the country ... as thousands of things that twenty years ... the last couple years were period of enormous strains in the U S Saudi relationship that looks to me like ... the story that emerged after the King's death was a big U S Saudi embrace under the new king ... maybe that's just optics but he was striking to me how both sides seem to wanna say words were good for good here ... yet it is amazing how many people suing with ... President Obama in front of a formal for the present Obama himself when he went it was a pretty impressive ... team ... I think ... part of what they want there is the fact that there is a lot of concern about the setting is different now ... um you know since basically the US invasion of Iraq has been a real ... fish or whether the rate the Saudis actually see us moving in ways that are beating their biggest regional ... arts and India Iran and you see whats been happening in Iraq ... Syria are now in Yemen U C allies of the Radian's ... feeding strains in the US in Iraq certainly ... abetting the rain Aeon's in Yemen ... there it there doesn't seem to be much pushback from the US that this Alicia's ... gain control of some and ... we have not done with the Saudis want which is ... aggressively move against Saddam ... in serious I think you saw this massive ... the embrace of king Salmond to try to get this ... relationship on a better footing that these fundamental issues have not been addressed I think ... it's it's good to be out there he now for the next two years so you're saying tensions are what they are the optics of both this week probably don't care all not all that much he has ever or what we're left with the things I mean ... there's a fundamental ... issue here with the ... present Obama trying to secure the security and with Iran ... basically prioritizing that I knew the Saudis see him as basically ... weekend and wanted to from outside he doesn't want to ... confront is the Shiite militias and ... in Yemen and you know whatever is nice pasta have this is still a fundamental issue and ... do well in that ... issue is interesting too because the Saudis are basically really decided ... the U S which is as good as part of energy now was a big competitor ... and even taking steps to keep prices low and see if they can drive American ... companies of the market so that ... the fundamentals of the religious right out so I would say less spending apart now we were importing so much more well ... um from OPEC and other countries announce attending a meeting that is why late we need each other it clap or or were were competitor the ... exact ... date that the Saudis on show any sign of changing their oil policy ... they seem to be this that a fundamental decision were to write down the world it and write down or let the price of oil go down ... to the point were other people have to get out and will we will save our market share ... they will soon be wasting all that ... now ... and I don't think ... I aam and this tax changes anything ... no illnesses staying so the sense to get its policies ... and what will be more to say the politics international and domestic as well as energy next week on the capital Journal round table hope you'll join us meet any can join the conversation Twitter at ... hashtag doubly SJ lie on Jerry side ...